Busan mayor to bid for 2028 G20 summit, pursue 50,000-seat North Port dome
In short
Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo (전재수) said on October 8, at a briefing marking 100 days in office, that the city will bid to host the 2028 G20 summit alongside the 2028 UN Ocean Conference already set for Busan. He also said a multipurpose dome arena for about 50,000 people at North Port is being pursued on two tracks: a Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism competition and private investment.
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Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo (전재수) said on October 8 that the city will bid to host the 2028 Group of 20 (G20) summit. "I will take on the challenge of hosting the 2028 G20 summit to widen the stage of Busan, the maritime capital, to the world," he said at a briefing marking his 100th day in office. He said the bid, together with the 2028 UN Ocean Conference already confirmed for Busan, would be a chance to show the city's capabilities to the world. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Incheon, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City and North Gyeongsang Province have also entered the race to host the summit, Yonhap and Kyunghyang Shinmun reported. [ 3 , 4 ]
Jeon presented a multipurpose dome arena as the centrepiece of plans to revive North Port. Kukmin Ilbo said it would hold about 50,000 people and Kyunghyang described it as 50,000 seats; it is meant for baseball and other sports, large K-pop concerts and international events, combined with culture, tourism and commercial functions. "We are proceeding on two tracks, with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism competition and contacts with private groups," Jeon said, adding that he would explain more "when the time is right." Kukmin Ilbo reported that he did not disclose the investment size or the parties involved. Jeon cited crowds who came to see Bukangi (부캉이), a shark at North Port; Yonhap quoted him as saying more than 1 million people visited. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The mayor also said he will work closely with the government so that construction of Gadeokdo New Airport starts on time, and will build a hub port and metropolitan railways suited to the Arctic shipping route era. He outlined plans to gather maritime administration, judicial, financial, corporate and research functions in Busan, to apply artificial intelligence to shipbuilding, maritime, port and manufacturing industries, and to shift tourism policy toward longer stays and local spending. Newsis reported he also plans a youth programme including a first-career guarantee. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
In the question session, Jeon said deliberations on building Pompidou Busan, a La Scala invitation performance and rebuilding Sajik Baseball Stadium were in their final stage and results would be announced simultaneously soon. On Bukangi, he said falling water temperatures and signs the shark had not been feeding were a concern, and that steps would be taken so lighting does not disturb it at night. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
The briefing was themed "100 days of recovery, 1,360 days of growth." Jeon listed among his results 100-day emergency measures to ease the burden on small businesses and residents, a successful Arctic route pilot voyage, confirmation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' new headquarters site at North Port, and the relocation of shipping companies including HMM and Heunga Haeun (흥아해운) to Busan, Yonhap reported. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
Busan joins Incheon, Jeju, Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City and North Gyeongsang Province in seeking to host the summit, according to Yonhap and Kyunghyang. The mayor framed the G20 bid and the dome arena as part of his plan to turn Busan into a maritime business hub and convert growth into jobs and income, though he gave no investment figures or partners for the arena.
Key facts
- Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said the city will bid to host the 2028 G20 summit. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- He made the announcement at a briefing on October 8 marking his 100th day in office. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Busan is already confirmed as host of the 2028 UN Ocean Conference. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Incheon, Jeju, Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City and North Gyeongsang Province are also seeking to host the G20 summit. [ 3 , 4 ]
- The planned North Port dome arena would hold about 50,000 people. [ 1 , 4 ]
- The arena is meant to host sports, K-pop concerts and international events. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The arena is being pursued through a Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism competition and talks with private groups at the same time. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Jeon said deliberations on Pompidou Busan, a La Scala invitation performance and the Sajik Baseball Stadium rebuild are in the final stage, with results to be announced soon. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said Busan will bid to host the 2028 G20 summit. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The 2028 UN Ocean Conference has already been confirmed for Busan. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Incheon, Jeju, Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City and North Gyeongsang Province are also bidding to host the summit. [ 3 , 4 ]
- The North Port dome arena is being pursued through a culture ministry competition and private investment in parallel. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- The dome arena is planned at a scale of about 50,000 people or seats. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Results on Pompidou Busan, the La Scala performance and the Sajik Baseball Stadium rebuild will be announced soon. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Cost, investors and timeline for the North Port dome arena. Jeon said he would explain at an appropriate time; Kukmin Ilbo reported the investment size and partners were not disclosed.
- How the G20 host city will be chosen and when. The documents list competing regions but give no selection process or date.
- The nature of the dispute over the Pompidou branch. Kyunghyang's headline calls the Pompidou plan a controversy, but none of the articles explains it.
- More than 1 million people visited North Port to see the shark Bukangi. Reported only by Yonhap, quoting the mayor.